Study of Digital Transformation Experience, International University Heading Toward Building a Synchronized Digital Ecosystem

On August 11, 2026, International University (IU) organized a working delegation to visit Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) to exchange experiences and learn about the implementation of digital transformation and the development of a digital university model… with the hope of promoting digital transformation, improving management efficiency and service quality for students in the coming period.

This working visit to VNU-HCM is not only an opportunity for IU to access a digital transformation model – which has been implemented in practice for many years by VNU-HCM – but also a chance for the leadership of IU to directly exchange experiences on the construction of systems, data organization, and digitalization processes. From the value gained from this visit, IU will have more basis to evaluate existing platforms and plan future steps in its digital transformation process.

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Chinh – Deputy Vice President in charge of IU – spoke at the first session with VNU-HCM: “Over the past years, IU has gradually applied information technology to many areas such as training, scientific research, management, student affairs, and support activities for learners. Many applications, software, and databases have been built to meet the needs of each unit in different development stages of IU. When digital transformation moves into a new development phase, the demand is not only to continue digitalizing more activities but also to enhance the connectivity between existing applications and databases, aiming for a more integrated overall architecture and a more synchronized digital ecosystem.”

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Chinh – Deputy Vice President in charge of IU – spoke at the first meeting with VNU-HCM.

Through the introduction and direct demonstration of the digital management system, the IU delegation gained insight into how applications, data, and business processes can be connected on a common platform. Applications and third-party platforms at HaUI were also integrated into the ecosystem, helping users access services more conveniently without having to operate multiple completely separate systems.

From this practical experience, the IU delegation gained a new perspective on transitioning from developing applications to meet individual needs to building an overall digital architecture, in which existing platforms can continue to be inherited, standardized, and interconnected.

One of the key topics  that received much attention during the meeting between the two universities was how the system was designed according to the roles and usage needs of different groups within the university. Through the demo, the IU delegation explored dashboards and functional groups tailored for various user types such as staff in different departments, lecturers, administrative staff, students, prospective students, and other user groups.

Dr. Nguyen Van Thien – Deputy Director of VNU-HCM – spoke at the meeting on August 11, 2026.

Sharing about the 15-year journey of building a digital ecosystem, Dr. Nguyen Van Thien – Deputy Director of VNU-HCM – mentioned that the core management system from training, human resources, examinations to science and technology has been built in a synchronized, interconnected, and continuously upgraded manner. Dr. Nguyen Van Thien also emphasized that the essence of this process lies in changing mindsets and reengineering processes, rather than just computerizing manual steps. VNU-HCM remains committed to the principle of putting people at the center, while all processes must be operated in a digital environment, with data created once and used multiple times to ensure seamless connectivity throughout.

This approach has also suggested an important direction: digital transformation should start from the actual experiences and work of users. Instead of requiring each individual to operate on multiple systems, the digital environment can be organized according to roles, allowing each member to access tools, information, and processes suitable for their work.

“For IU, this is a valuable reference experience in the process of continuing to improve existing platforms, aiming to build a more convenient digital environment for staff, lecturers, and learners.” – Prof. Dr. Pham Van Hung – Deputy Vice President of IU – stated.

Prof. Dr. Pham Van Hung – Deputy Vice President of IU – shared at the meeting on August 11, 2026.

In addition, the IU delegation focused time on understanding how digital transformation can help data achieve higher value in university management activities.

It is known that when systems are interconnected and data is standardized, information from daily activities can be summarized on dashboards, supporting monitoring, analysis, and providing additional basis for decision-making processes.

“This suggests a suitable approach for IU in the next phase, not only continuing to improve applications, IU can also enhance standardization, connectivity, and data utilization across fields, gradually developing management based on data.” – Dr. Nguyen Quoc Chinh shared at the first meeting on August 11, 2026.

The delegation also explored some examples of integrating external services into the digital ecosystem. Among these, connecting with banks can support students right from the enrollment process, creating accounts, and performing online payments. The integration of third-party platforms into the common system shows that digital transformation does not necessarily require developing all tools from scratch, but rather building the capability to connect and manage these platforms in a unified manner.

In addition, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in some functions also opens up new approaches towards automation, user support, and data exploitation. These are contents that International University can continue to research when developing a digital ecosystem in the near future.

One of the important experiences shared during the visit was that digital transformation is not just a story of technological investment.

Dr. Lê Trường Giang – Deputy Director of the Information Technology Center, Industrial University of Hanoi – shared at the working meeting: “Building a digital ecosystem needs to be implemented holistically among technology, data, processes, policies, and people. Before digitization, processes need to be reviewed and standardized; data needs to have common standards; responsibilities among units need to be clearly defined; at the same time, users need to be placed at the center during the system design process.”

Dr. Lê Trường Giang – Deputy Director of the Information Technology Center, Industrial University of Hanoi – shared at the working meeting with International University.

For International University, the experiences accumulated during the visit have contributed to reinforcing the understanding that digital transformation needs the participation of the entire University. Departments, offices, units, and centers are both users and play an important role in identifying needs, reviewing processes, and proposing ways to improve, while the technology team takes on the role of building the platform and connecting these needs within a common architecture.

Dr. Nguyễn Quốc Chính – Deputy Rector in charge of International University – presented a souvenir gift for the visit and work with Industrial University of Hanoi on the morning of 11/8/2026. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Thiện – Deputy Director of Industrial University of Hanoi – represented the reception of the gift from International University.